A lunch (or dinner!) that every cheese lover will adore
What is it about melted cheese? Just about anything oozing with melted cheese tastes delicious – like melted mozzarella on a pizza; sweet, nutty asiago in a luscious mac & cheese; or earthy fontina in an unbearably sinful fondue with chipotle and tequila.
But perhaps the simplest recipe – the most adored of all – is the grilled cheese sandwich. When prepared with a crusty bread and stuffed with a cheese that melts to perfection, it is essentially irresistible.
Here, this beloved sandwich takes on a gourmet twist. The secret ingredient: garlic confit!
A spread of poached garlic makes this gourmet grilled cheese irresistible
When garlic is gently poached in olive oil, it becomes sweet, with a subtle flavor. The cloves become so soft that you can spread them on your toast – or in this case, in your grilled cheese sandwich. Pair the mellow garlic confit with zingy baby arugula and a nutty, pungent aged cheddar, gruyère or fontina, and every luscious bite is mouthwatering.
For lunch, serve this grilled cheese with a simple leafy green salad. For a casual dinner, dress it up with a side vegetable like these hand-cut sweet potato fries or these grilled potatoes with rosemary, garlic and coarse sea salt – a meal that every cheese lover will want to devour.
Never Miss a Recipe
Wine pairing: Cabernet Franc with garlic confit grilled cheese
A Cabernet Franc from Chinon or Bourgueil in the Loire Valley, is delicious with these tasty grilled cheeses.
Grilled cheese sandwich with garlic confit & arugula
4 servings
30 minutes
15 minutes
Cabernet Franc
Print
Ingredients
8 thin slices rye country bread
1/4 cup olive oil from Garlic confit
8 oz (225 g) aged Cheddar, Gruyère, Fontina or Manchego – coarsely grated
2 large handfuls baby arugula (4 oz) (115 g) (or regular arugula coarsely chopped)
fine sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Garlic confit cloves
Directions
- Place 4 slices of bread on a cutting board and brush with the olive oil reserved from the garlic confit. Turn slices around and spread the grated cheese on the non-oiled side. Top each slice with a heap of the baby arugula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the garlic confit on the other 4 slices of bread. Place the garlic confit slices on top of the slices with the arugula and press firmly to seal the sandwiches. Brush the top of the sandwiches with the balance of the oil.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan to medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches, reduce heat to medium/medium-high, and sauté 4 to 5 minutes until golden-brown. Flip the sandwiches and continue to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until golden-brown and the cheese has melted completely. Serve piping hot.
Pingback: The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches In The World - Rat Cookies
It looks delicious!
Pingback: Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Mama & Baby Love
Delightful! My family spent much of the meal riffing off of this lovely sandwich. More luxurious grilled cheese sandwiches in our future.
Pingback: Meatless Monday — Tranquil Space
Pingback: Curried tomato coulis | Recipe | Food & Style
Pingback: Garlic confit | Recipe | Food & Style
Pingback: 5 Killer Fall Grilled Cheese Ideas | { Avec Mallory }
Pingback: Paumanok Vineyards, Cabernet Franc 2008 and grilled cheese sandwich with garlic confit | Food & Style
Pingback: 34 Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Recipes | Daily Healthy Tips
Pingback: New York Veggie Guide: Arugula in May | ER-DOX Blog
Pingback: | Tuesday Ten: SPRINGredients
Pingback: Whole-wheat grilled cheese with broccoli rabe and cave-aged Gruyère — food & style
Pingback: Grilled cheese sandwiches with wilted spinach and Emmental — food & style
Pingback: 100 Incredible Summer Recipes with Seasonal Vegetables | Sensual AppealSensual Appeal
This is the most sophisticated-looking AND the most delicious-looking grilled cheese I have ever seen!
Thank you Sabine!
Pingback: Mushroom Soup | Dashing Foodie
This grilled cheese looks so delicious. Have you entered it in the Grilled Cheese Academy’s recipe showdown? If not, you should! Here’s the website: http://grilledcheeseacademy.com
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Amarie! I will submit this recipe as you suggest… Bon appétit!
Pingback: 3 Ingredient Beer Bread and 30 Great Sandwich Recipes | Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Oh my gosh, garlic confit? This sandwich looks amazing
I love your pictures and recipes, they are mouth watering. Would love for you to share them with us at foodieportal.com. We are new but at foodieportal.com we are not photography snobs, we are just foodies.
Pingback: 70 Dye-Free, Naturally Green Recipes for Saint Patrick's Day | Kitchen Treaty
Pingback: Mashed potatoes with garlic confit — food & style
Made these for dinner tonight. I used Artesian Sour Dough for the bread. My wife merely said “WOW!” when she bit into it. I added a thin piece of ham to it and paired it with a roasted pear and arugula salad. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hello Matt! Thank you so much for your note… I’m delighted you and your wife enjoyed the grilled cheeses. Your pairing with the salad is superb too!
Pingback: Smoked provolone panini with tomato, avocado and basil — food & style
This is a grilled cheese worthy of company! I NEED to try this!
Pingback: Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
I have been making these gems for about a year, always to energetic praise. I give you full credit every time, I promise. 🙂 Even served them as little round hors d’oeuvres once. Delicious but a bit wasteful. Always have used Gruyere but it’s Fontina next go-round.
Now, over to the gratin for a question.
Dear Carmen, Thank you so much for your wonderful comment – I must say it made my day! May I suggest aged Fontina Val d’Aosta if you decide to give it a try… it is superb in this recipe. Bon appétit!
Pingback: The favorites list: early spring. | writes4food | cooking, eating, drinking in the Midwest
Oh, I had to buzz this one! Looks so yummy. A nice alternative to the traditional cheese sandwich!
Looks delish. Any particular cheese you like best for this?
Adam, I’m particularly fond of aged fontina for this grilled cheese. It has such a deep, pungent, nutty flavor. Thank you for stopping by!
Oh, how delicious!!! Congrats on the Top 9 today…well deserved!!!
Thank you Liz!
Oh my! This looks incredible. I am a huge fan of anything oozing with cheese as well. While that may not be so good for my waistline, I feel like cheesy goodness is excellent for my peace of mind!
Sarah, I couldn’t agree with you more…
that is one wonderful piece of deliciousness! perfect flavor combo!
Thank you Susan!
I have always had an inborn prejudice against garlic and cheese together except in lasagna… I’m not sure why. But Viviane, this might just be the meal to make me change my mind. It looks and sounds amazing!
Janet, I am so glad you might give this recipe a try… Garlic confit is very mild and sweet. It also makes a great vinaigrette!
Oh wow! This sounds incredible! I haven’t ever made or tasted garlic confit but garlic is in almost every dish I make so I think I need to try it out asap! Sounds amazing with the peppery arugula, crunchy bread, yummmm. Grilled cheese for dinner? I think it’s happening! 🙂
Lacy! Your enthusiasm is contagious – grilled cheese for dinner sounds mighty good to me! Thank you for the smiles…
Ohh this looks SO delicious! What beautiful photos!
Oh my, these look to die for! Garlic confit sounds fantastic, though I’ve never had it. I adore tomato confit though, and I imagine the arugula is a perfect contrast. Best grilled cheese ever!
Thank you dear Kiri! I think garlic confit might just be the thing for your exotic palate 🙂
This looks SOOO good! I love grilled cheeses!
Gorgeous!Love everything about this, the nutty arugula, the garlic confit( awesome idea)and the looks!Absolutely fantastic 🙂
This is a fantastic take on the grilled cheese. Don’t you just love the bite of arugula (I have some coming up already in my garden) and the garlic confit is killer. Love this grilled cheese.
Pingback: 15 sandwich americani | Mamma Felice
Pingback: Shiitake mushroom tartines with cheddar fondue — food & style
Made these last night. Ravishingly perfect. Will turn them into appetizers for a Fourth of July dinner. Arugola, garlic confit, fireworks –tres americain, n’est-ce pas?
Carmen! Thank you for both your wonderful comments. I am so happy you enjoyed the grilled cheese. I think anything made with garlic confit is fireworks! I have lots of baby arugula growing in the garden right now… I must put these on the menu this week! Lovely to meet you here… Thank you again and happy 4th!
This looks amazing 🙂
I had some garlic confit in the fridge, so went to the store to get some arugula, this grilled cheese sounded realy good, bought a nice italian bread also. The cheese and the confit blended realy good; advise to people: use garlic from Anderson Farms in Gilroy, not the chinese imports that you find at big chain supermarkets. The arugula added a sweet and peppery touch. Just didnt see this sandwich going well with a glass of wine, although not much a big beer drinker opened up a bottle of Stella, and sat to watch the Derby. Its funny, how the right frame of mind and the right plate infront of you can make one forget the worries of the world…
James, thank you so much for your comment… I certainly can see that this grilled cheese sandwich would be great with a good beer! I don’t know if you noticed, but there is a recipe here for making your own garlic confit… Maybe you’ll give it a try? It’s really divine!
This sounds absolutely delicious! I love garlic confit, recently used it in a gnocchi and was blown away by the subtle taste. I will definitely try this recipe, thanks!
This looks so delicious!
The think that makes the best impression in your recipe is the garlic…
It’s my best whatever has garlic in…
Love your recipe!
Wonderful and healthy sandwich! I love the combo of the cheese and arugula, very interesting!
Mmmm, it sounds heavenly. My mouth is watering!
Nice, can’t wait to try that. I love arugula, any excuse to use it. Garlic confit is just an added bonus, nice work.
What a beautiful image with the vibrant green arugula and oozing cheese! I’m definitely adding garlic confit to my next grilled cheese.
I’ve got to give garlic confit a try – it sounds amazing!
Kathy! It is pretty amazing indeed… You’re reminding me its time for me to make another batch.
Pingback: I made you a curried chickpea soup and a fancy grilled cheese sandwich « i made you a sandwich
Viviane it looks so delicious! What a treat for my entire family! Great photo!
Thank you Donna! As always… You are so wonderful!
Simply beautiful
That looks wonderful. Yum.
You must be reading my mind because I am CRAVING grilled cheese sandwich right now! And adding garlic and arugula? Over the top!!
Wow this looks SO good – I love grilled cheese with lots of fancy ingredients…so yummy. 🙂
Mmmm! Looks delish! I sort of want one right now… even if it’s morning.
Sounded so yummy I posted your link to our Ingles Markets Facebook page!
Oh my, those photos look amazing. I try so hard to stick with a mostly plant based diet but I now have a jones for a grilled cheese sandwich, with a side of green salad it’s still mostly plant based eating right?? Yum, I’m stopping at the store after my errands today and picking up the fixings. 🙂
You have elevated the grilled cheese sandwich to a level that I didn’t know could be achieved! I had not seen your Garlic Confit before so it’s like a bonus recipe for me.
Very pretty.
I dunno, but grilled cheese is the best thing ever. Love the garlic here!
Gourmet grilled cheese with a perfectly paired glass of wine? Thanks for giving me my Saturday lunch idea…perfect! Theresa
Thank you Theresa! Enjoy your Saturday lunch – very civilized!
I love adding someting extra to grilled cheese sandwiches, and arugula and garlic confit sounds perfect! I still have some arugula in my garden from the winter (grows best in winter here) that I need to use soon. I want to try the fondue with chipotle and tequila too!
Lisa! Thank you for stopping by. I am amazed that you still have arugula from your garden – How very fortunate you are! I bet it tastes a little spunky too. It’ll be perfect with these grilled cheese.
vivane, only YOU could make a grilled cheese sandwich look utterly divine. i will make this sandwich ASAP. thank you for every bit of this post (great directions, great photos and wine suggestions to boot)!!
Pingback: Garlic confit — food & style
Pingback: Paumanok Vineyards, Cabernet Franc 2008 and grilled cheese with garlic confit — food & style